How big should a painting be for my wall?
Start with the wall, not the painting. Measure the width of the empty space, and above a sofa or sideboard measure the furniture too. A common starting point is a work that fills about half to two thirds of the width of the furniture beneath it, though a tall narrow work on a narrow wall can happily break that habit.
Rooms in a flat often feel smaller than they did on the showroom floor, and a large work needs distance to be seen. If you can stand back two or three paces, you can live with a bigger work. The preview at /on-your-wall/ lets you see a work at its true size against your own wall before you decide.
Where should I hang it, and at what height?
A common practice is to hang a work so that its centre sits at about eye level, which many people take as roughly 145 to 150 centimetres from the floor. Over a sofa, bring it a little lower, leaving a hand's width or so above the furniture so the two read as one group. Treat this as a starting point and adjust to the room.
Each room asks something different of a painting.
- Living room: the wall you face when you sit, with room around the work.
- Dining room: hang slightly lower, because people look at it seated.
- Bedroom: a calmer work, above the headboard or opposite the bed.
- Entrance: the first wall a visitor sees, a work that reads in a glance.
How do light and humidity in an Indian home affect a painting?
Direct sun fades pigments and paper over time, so avoid walls that catch it, especially for works on paper. Monsoon humidity and sea air, as in Mumbai, can bring mould and spotting. Keep works away from bathrooms and kitchens, and from outer walls that turn damp.
Keep air moving in the room and use warm bulbs placed at a distance rather than a hot spotlight close to the surface. Framing and glazing choices make a real difference, and the advice at /care/ covers them in more detail.
How do I mix one strong work with quieter ones?
Let one work lead. Give it the main wall and leave space around it. Then add smaller or calmer works that share a colour or a mood with it, rather than a subject.
Keep the gaps between frames even, and leave some wall bare. Two loud works facing each other in one room tend to cancel out, while one loud work among quiet companions is noticed at once.
What should I do when buying for a new flat?
Wait until the furniture, curtains and lighting are in, and until fresh paint has dried fully. Then measure again. Walls change a room more than most people expect.
Begin with the room you use most. If you can, plan picture lights and the right fixings for the wall type before the walls are painted, since it is easier then than after.
Should I work with an interior designer?
Either way works. A designer knows your scheme, budget and builder's timeline and can place art early. The choice of work is still yours, because you will live with it. If you bring a designer, share room measurements and photographs when you write to clientadvisory@artsbespoke.com or message use Get in touch.
Without a designer, begin with what you are drawn to and test it against the wall. Prices are printed beside each work, with no buyer's premium and no deposit, so you can set a work against your budget before you write. Every work comes with an invoice, a certificate of authenticity, a condition report and a recorded ownership history.
Written by the house and last reviewed on 21 October 2026. General information only: for a decision about a particular work, write to the house or take professional advice.
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